ich all were conscious. Every
party of Commonwealth's men accused every other party of a design to
bring the King in, and every party so accused repudiated the charge
with such strength of language as to beget the suspicion, "The Lady
protests too much, methinks." On the other hand, the uneasy common
consciousness disposed people to be practically somewhat tolerant.
When no one knew what might happen to himself, why should he indict
his neighbour for treason? On some such ground it may have been, as
well as to try to win grace with the Presbyterians or new Royalists,
that the present Government did not proceed with the trials of the
lords and gentlemen committed for high treason for their concern in
the late Insurrection, but released all or most of them. Lords
Northampton, Falkland, Herbert, Howard, and others had been released
November 1, and Sir George Booth himself was set at liberty on the
9th of December.[1]

[Footnote 1: Thurloe, VII. 708, 727, 743, 753-4, 775, and 802;
Whitlocke, IV. 369, 377, and 378; Clarendon, 872-877; Guizot, I.
211-215; Letters of M. de Bordeaux, in Appendix to Guizot, II. 288,
294, and 298; Order Books of Council of State, Aug. 23 and Oct. 13,
1659.]

In the matter of a new Constitution for the future the procedure of
the Committee of Safety had been not uninteresting. On the 1st of
November they had referred the subject to a sub-committee, consisting
of Vane, Whitlocke, Fleetwood, Ludlow, Salway, and Tichbourne; and on
this sub-committee Ludlow did consent to act. In fact, however, the
General Committee and the Wallingford-House Council kept along with
the Sub-Committee in the great discussion.[1]

[Footnote 1: Whitlocke, IV. 368-369, and Ludlow, 736. Whitlocke does
not here name himself as one of the sub-committee, though he names
the others; but Ludlow names him distinctly, and Whitlocke's words
afterwards (e.g., p. 376) show him to have been an active member.]

The Kingship of Charles Stuart was, of course, an utterly forbidden
idea in the deliberations. The idea of a revival of any form of the
Protectorship, whether by the recall of Richard, or by the election
of Fleetwood or Lambert, was equally forbidden, although there had
been whispers of the kind about Wallingford House, and Richard was
understood to be hovering near, in case he should be wanted. "Such a
form of Government as may best suit and comport with a Free State and
Commonwealth, without a Single Person, Kingship, or